Page 6 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12: English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development, 2007

THEONTARIOCURRICULUM,GRADES9–12 | ESLandELD
to achieve these goals. Its aim is to help students become successful English language learners who can:
use English to communicate effectively in a variety of social settings; use English to achieve academically in all subject areas;
take charge of their own learning, independently and in groups; select and use effective learning strategies;
integrate confidently into mainstream courses;
use English effectively to advocate for themselves in all areas of their lives;
make a successful transition to their chosen postsecondary destination (work, apprenticeship, college, university);
function effectively in a society increasingly committed to the use of information technology;
use critical-literacy and critical-thinking skills to interpret the world around them;
participate fully in the social, economic, political, and cultural life of their communities and of Canada.
This culminating vision of successful English language learners identifies the language skills and capabilities required for success in Ontario’s education system and for full participation in Canadian society. The expectations outlined in the ESL and ELD curri- culum are designed to enable students to develop these important skills and capabilities.
For many English language learners, achievement of the expectations may require them to adopt new ways of learning and new ways of interacting with others. However, growth towards full linguistic and cultural competence in English should not be at the expense of students’ own languages and cultures. A major goal of any instructional program for English language learners should be to encourage students to value and maintain their own linguistic and cultural identities so that they can enter the larger society as bilingual and bicultural individuals. Such young people are able to choose language and cultural norms that are appropriate in any given situation or cultural context, and can fully par- ticipate in and contribute to our multilingual, multicultural Canadian society.
The ESL and ELD curriculum expectations are designed to help English language learners develop the skills they need to develop proficiency in everyday English and, most espe- cially, the proficiency in academic English that will allow them to integrate successfully into the mainstream school program. It is important to recognize that while English lan- guage learners are in the process of acquiring academic language, their age peers are not standing still in their learning of grade-appropriate language and concepts. In effect, English language learners must catch up with a moving target. Thus, an effective curricu- lum for English language learners integrates academic language and literacy skills with subject-matter concepts and critical-thinking skills from the very beginning levels of
instruction, so that students can gain as much momentum as possible as they progress to full participation in mainstream classes in the various subjects.
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